Bouncing Back

Skills for Adaptation to Injury, Aging, Illness, and Pain

Oxford UP, 2017

15 min read

10 take-aways

Audio & text

What's inside?

Chronic pain sufferers can use simple, viable strategies to find relief from mental and physical challenges.

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Perhaps you suffer from serious illness or injury, and you’re in constant pain. Maybe you’re getting older and facing diminished physical or mental faculties or chronic pain. Or perhaps you are a caregiver for someone with these issues. Compromised health can require dealing with both physical and psychological challenges. University of California, Davis, professor Richard Wanlass can help you successfully manage these painful issues. A rehabilitation psychologist and neuropsychologist, Wanlass has spent 35 years assisting thousands of injured, ill and elderly people deal with chronic pain and with physical and mental limitations. He explains how to cope effectively with changing life circumstances and still find contentment and happiness. getAbstract recommends his knowledgeable guide to physicians, therapists, nurses, anyone in pain, and anyone caring for the elderly or infirm.

Summary

Adapting

People who suffer from illness or injury face physical and psychological challenges. Often they must adapt to distressing circumstances. To cope, they need to learn to stay upbeat, control their stress, reduce their anxiety and manage their frustration at the possible loss of strength, capability, and even certain levels of social involvement.

Someone with compromised health must develop new approaches to dealing with other people, including those they may rely on for care. They must develop new friendships to replace friends who’ve moved or died or who drifted during times of trouble.

On top of these concerns, ill or injured people may also have to learn how to manage chronic and potentially debilitating pain. As they age, the elderly often face similar, unsettling challenges. Learning to cope successfully with these unwelcome burdens requires learning and implementing various specialized management and self-regulatory skills.

Self-Management

Perhaps due to illness, injury or old age, your life has become more restricted, difficult and painful. To regain a life of contentment, you need to find the courage to accept your new, reduced and...

About the Author

Richard Wanlass is chief psychologist and clinical professor at the University of California, Davis. He also wrote The Neuropsychology Toolkit: Guidelines, Formats, and Language.

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J. S. 6 years ago

positive way to deal with pain levels and changing outlook on dealing with them head on.

Richard Wanlass